The following invention relates generally to camping devices adapted to enshroud a trailing portion of a motor vehicle. More particularly, the device lends itself to being affixed to the rear portion of a vehicle having a rear door, commonly called a hatchback, the hatchback defining a pivotable panel adapted to rotate about a roof line along an axis transverse to the longitudinal extent of the vehicle.
Camping has become more than a recreational activity, it has become economic necessity to persons confronted with long journeys and inadequate means to afford conventional motel accommodations. The concomitant effort towards conservation of funds manifests itself in the utilization of vehicles that are downsized compared to prior art motor vehicles for the associated savings in energy and maintenance expenses. Whereas full sized station wagons may have at one time provided adequate space for two adults to rest, the inception and proliferation of small vehicles having rear hatchbacks no longer affords the room to the traveler that once was readily available.
To this end, a plurality of endeavors has been undertaken in the past in an attempt to resolve a long standing yet heretofore unsatisfied need at providing adequate space in downsized vehicles provided with hatchbacks so that campers and other travelers can avail themselves of the economies associated with sleeping in one'vehicle.
The following citations reflect the state of the art in which the applicant is aware insofar as these citations appear to be germane to the process at hand:
No. Re. 29,264 Woodward; U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,543 Crawford; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,348 Whitley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,089 Vafiadis.
The patent to Woodward is of interest since he teaches the use of a tent for a rear doored vehicle in which the trailing edge of the vehicle has a downwardly tapered roof line, and the tent associated therewith allows for the space immediately below an extended hatchback roof to be occluded by means of tent like material. A plurality of hooks and straps are associated with the tent adapted to engage certain body portions of the car, and the rear panel which extends vertically upward from the rear bumper includes a window to enhance ventilation. The forwardmost portion of the tent terminates at the pivot area of the hatchback, so that the resulting prism shaped tent appears to merely provide imperforate panels on both sides and the rear area immediately adjacent the hatch and does not extend beyond the rear portion of the car. Moreover, there appears to be no rain or snow sealing means where the leading edge of the tent addresses the forward hinge. Thus, it should be clear that the Woodward device is constrained to merely provide panels along sides and the rear of the open hatchback, and can do nothing to extend the effective length of the vehicle, the singlemost important criteria in allowing an adult to sleep in a constricted environment. Moreover, seals are conspicuously absent along the hinged area allowing the ingress of inclement weather should such arise, and the means of attachment of the tent to the vehicle may ultimately mar the finished surface of the vehicle.
The patent to Crawford is of interest since he teaches the use of a van camper in which door panels associated with the van are adapted to rotate downwardly into a horizontal plane and associated therewith a bellows type shroud to cause the pivoting door to be shielded from inclement weather. It should be apparent however that the Crawford patent does not have a wide range of applicability and in fact appears to be a custom product adapted only to van type campers having doors which uniquely pivot and is therefore permanently attached, not lending itself to a wide deployment among vehicle owners of the class to which the instant invention is directed.
Likewise, the patent to Whitley et al. teaches the use of a trunk mountable camper capsule for automobiles or the like in which the trailing portion of a conventional vehicle having a trunk adapted to pivot just below the rear window serves as a support area upon which a massive capsule is cantilevered and extends outwardly from the rear portion of the car. Clearly this device does not lend itself to ready transport and is not as readily stowable as will be defined by the instant application. Moreover, the Whitley et al. invention appears to be dimensioned so that the weight distribution between the front and the rear wheels of the vehicle itself has been disturbed which may provide problems in handling the vehicle, headlight alignment, and substantially increased gas consumption. The installation procedures for Whitley et al. does not readily lend itself to expeditious association and dissociation with the vehicle with which it is intended to be used.
The patent to Vafiadis teaches the use of a camping unit adapted to be attached to the roof of the car which when suitably deployed does not lend itself to rapid disengagement from the associated area should it be desired to embark from the camp site in haste, as when being unexpectedly disturbed or threatened by pranksters or intruders intending to break into the vehicle. More particularly, the mounting of the device on the car roof tends to raise the center of gravity on the vehicle sometimes causing undesirable handling characteristics, and in general suggests that the instant invention could not be arrived at by viewing this citation.
By way of contrast, the instant application is directed to and specifies an improved device which is extremely lightweight, the device adapted to assist in allowing an extremely small vehicle having a hatchback to serve as a camping device for the motorist, is readily deployable, provides no marring deformation to the car when deployed and removed, and simultaneously allows for the vehicle to be driven with the device attached without adverse effect to the vehicle, its ability to operate, and the like. Moreover, an improved sealing system is associated therewith which precludes the possibility of leakage during inclement weather, an important consideration when one cares to protect the interior portion of the vehicle and to assure an uninterrupted night's sleep. Moreover, the device as to be characterized hereinafter is distinguished over the art of record since it is capable of accommodating an extension instrumentality which allows an effective length of the bed portion behind the driver's seat to be extended to substantially any length by a cantilevered support system so that even the smallest of cars can accommodate fully grown adults. The inventor advises that one of the smallest cars currently available is a Honda Civic hatchback and with the invention according to the instant application, people in excess of 6 feet tall can be allowed to enjoy a restful night's repose. The shortness of the Honda Civic Hatchback may require tie down of the forward end of the sleeping platform. The Honda Civic Hatchback station wagon however does not require tie downs. This latter car is 10" longer than the Civic Coupe, but is still quite probably the smallest wagon marketed in the U.S.
Thus, the instant invention addresses the long felt yet heretofore unsatisfied need by providing an instrumentality adapted to enshroud the trailing portion of a vehicle which has a hatchback, the instrumentality is readily deployable over the open trailing portion of the vehicle when the hatchback is opened, and an instrumentality is provided for extending the effective length of the bed area that is intrinsic to the vehicle by providing a cantilevered support system to allow people of substantially any length to be accommodated thereby. The instrumentality is defined by a membrane which overlies the trailing portion of the car including the opening adapted to enshroud same and render the trailing portion of the car impervious to the elements. An instrumentality for tensioning the membrane instrumentality in a plurality of positions on the vehicle in operative association with a sealing instrumentality along a marginal leading portion of the membrane tends to exclude adverse inclement weather while concomitantly allowing the device to be rapidly deployed and removed without marring the finish of the vehicle. The device is extremely compact and portable.